PTA as a backup?

[TooCool]

Have any of you considered to go the PTA route as a backup? Or is it DPT or nothing?


I am terrified of not getting accepted into PT school. I am not trying to be a negative nancy lol but I have to be realistic here. Where I am doing my observation hours, there are PTA students that do their clinicals there and they all have degrees in Kinesiology and are in their mid 20s to early 30s and I asked why they were doing PTA when they can apply to PT schools and they said that PT school was just so hard to get into. One of them said he retook prereqs but still didnt get in. I dont have a stellar GPA, so it is discouraging to hear and have a business degree not a kinesiology degree.

I guess I just need to be optimistic and positive cause if I really want to be a PT (which I do), I shouldnt let that discourage me and do the best I can and apply, cause I wont know if I get in unless I try. The thought of not getting accepted and having to be stuck at my job for another year and prolonging the start of my career is just disheartening. I cant help but to feel that way

But I was just curious if any of you are considering PTA as a backup or actually have gone that route cause you didnt get accepted to any schools?

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[TooCool]

And I can only apply to (and only afford) state schools, not private ones, so that is a whole lot more competition...

 

[PTapp]

My only motivation was getting into a PT school, so I have never considered going to a PTA school. That being said though, I have a lot of respect for PTAs, because every single PTA that I have worked with so far was amazing.

 

[okramango]

GPA isn't the only thing they look at. Do you have good GRE scores? Lots of volunteer/shadowing hours? You can outline all of your strong points in your application essay, too. I've heard of people from this forum with less than 3.0 GPAs getting into PT schools. Just make sure to apply to a lot of schools to increase your chances. You can do it!

Personally, I wouldn't want to be a PTA. PT is what I'm going for, but I also like my current career (as a bodyworker and movement educator), so I don't feel like I need a "backup plan".

And you can also get financial aid or loans to go to other schools. From what I've seen, PT's can always find a job after graduation because of the high demand.

 

[jbizzle]

Toocool, check out southwest baptist university's tuition. It's pretty low for a private school. I applied there witha low GPA and they were the first to accept me this cycle. I think the tuition is somewhere around 50k +/- total.

 

[TooCool]

Thanks for the encouragement guys

My GRE is decent but I can always retake it. I have lotsa extracurriculars and observation hours in many different settings.

I am going to get rid of my 'backup plan' cause that is pretty much saying what if I dont succeed. I should have the attitude of "Failure is not an option" and "Whatever it takes" With that way of thikning there is no need for a backup plan.

Gonna brainwash myself to thikn that anyway

 

[markelmarcel]

I had first considered PTA, but then decided because of my age (at the time 24) I should just go for DPT. Now I'm 26 and will be starting in the fall and I haven't regretted my decision yet.

It is hard to see all my friends "moving on" with their lives, settling down and all that, but I know I'm setting myself up for great things to come!

If I didn't get into PT school my "back up plan" was to go to grad school and eventually get my PhD in anatomy.

 

[kcrat21]

If I don't get into PT school my backup plan is to be an ATC. I really want to be a PT but if it doesn't work out, I'll still get to work with and rehab athletes, so I guess its a win-win either way.

I thought of being a PTA a few years back and even started taking the pre-reqs for that, but I gave up because I wasn't 100% sure that's what I wanted to do. Now I know....so I'm going all in!

Don't discount yourself!